Thursday, January 27, 2011

Rest in...Peace?

Can't believe I almost forgot this one! This is very recent, but it's a great story for future family history. And, although we say we will "never forget" it, let's face it: we always do. And this is one story that should never be forgotten.

Everyone who knew my grandmother loved her. She was very quiet and somewhat reserved, but she was the most loving person I knew (almost to a fault). She used to pick people up off the side of the road and give out hundreds of dollars to random strangers who came to her for help. An amazing person, but we often worried she would end up getting hurt by one of her mysterious friends or simpmly be taken advantage of.

A couple weeks before she passed away, my grandmother met one such lady on the side of the road. She was homeless and had been out of jail for about a month with no work. She also, randomly enough, had a laptop (which we suspect had been "borrowed", but still don't know) she was selling. My grandma took compassion and agreed to buy the laptop from the woman. My grandma didn't need a laptop, but she said she could find someone who did. The woman, who happened to be from Peru, thanked my grandmother profusely and asked if she could come visit us and play some music for my grandma's birthday, which was in a couple weeks. My grandma loves music and was, of course, delighted.

My grandma's party came, and the Peruvian stranger never showed up. The next morning, my grandmother was gone, and the homeless woman entirely forgotten.

Until the funeral. I had stepped outside for a moment with my mom, who was having a hard time. Suddenly my aunt came running to us screaming, "Lynette! There's a crazy lady cursing and dancing over your mother's dead body! Come quick!"

Apperantly the stranger had not forgotten my grandmother's kindness, and when she saw the obituary in the paper, was sad she had never gotten to play for her. So she showed up, whipped a flute out from the folds of her skirt and the castinets hanging from her neck, and started singing to my grandma. She was dancing and scattering flowers while the entire room just stared, white-faced and in shock. When she was done, she simply turned and left without a word and was gone as quickly as she had come.

Most of my family didn't quite know what to think about this at first. Some were offended, some touched, but most just found it very humerous. For a while I didn't know what to think either, but I know it made my grandma happy that she got to hear the sweet stranger's music. And I know my grandpa was laughing and dancing along. We never saw or heard from her again, but it made for a very exciting funeral.

Much love.

P.S. Now my mom wants me to hire a Peruvian floutist to play at her funeral. :P